Playing in the zones on a slow 5k 😊

Another slow 5k for me this morning while I work on running in zones 🏃‍♀️. I entered my own stats into the zone boundaries on my Garmin watch last week and deliberately ran a slow 5k run. My stats showed almost all my running in zone 4 and a little in zone 3 😃, rather than the almost entire run showing in red zone 5 as it had on all previous runs 😱.

Today I ran comfortably in the warm orange glow of zone 4, but my time in the healthy green of zone 3 increased quite a bit 😀. It was a slow 5k trail run through the woods, leaping numerous puddles formed from overspilling ditches and running through long stretches of mud (which my new Brooks Cascadias coped with admirably). Though still slow, this was over a minute faster than my previous run, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the green zone register as much as it did.

My VO2 Max is also heading in the right direction and has knocked two years off my age! I have no idea how it works, but as long as it is winding back the clock it can only be a good thing ⏰ 😉 😃 .

Happy running everyone. 🏃‍♀️😊

[Hidden]

Love this Delly-dot! It's all an experience and trying things along the way. Then eventually it seems to settle and boom...it all comes together 😊😊😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks GTFC 🙏🏼😊

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10]

Your trail run sounds so lovely. I miss those types of runs but next summer I'll hit the trails again.

Your graphs are looking good. I'm glad to hear things are coming together.

[Hidden in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Thank you 😊. It’s nice to see the green grow! Feels healthy 💪🏼.

Hope you’re managing to do your runs in the snow. What’s your temperature there? It was warmer than it looked in the sunshine for me this morning (10 degrees c) and I had to peel a layer off.

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

It just keeps snowing and I've had so much going on for work, I haven't gotten out yet this week. I've got another webinar to attend tonight after work , but I'm getting out Friday, I hope. We're pretty cold right now (-20°C) but they are calling for a high of 0 tomorrow. The cold doesn't usually stop me, unless it is really windy, which it likely will be tomorrow due to the warm up in temperature. But I have to do something, I'm feeling so sluggish after feeling so great after last week's high activity.

[Hidden in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Gosh that’s cold 🥶!! I hope you manage to get out for your run. Please post us a snowy photo 🤗

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Will do!

[dijep Graduate10]

Sounds a lovely run even with puddle jumping and mud splatter 😊 😂 And great that you can see the difference in your HR Zones. I tend to run mainly in 2 and 3, but I know its good to mix it up so I should try to do some in z4 but it's such an effort 🤣😂😕 So that makes me even more impressed with your run.

[Hidden in reply to dijep]

I’m really trying hard to bring my pace down but it’s not easy to consciously go slower! I’m enjoying trying out a few new things though. I’ve downloaded the Runkeeper app to try and I’ve done three zombie 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️ runs now 😬. Unfortunately the NRC app doesn’t like my out of date iPhone so I can’t try it. Never mind. 🙃

[dijep Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I'm quite good at slower I just can't do faster 🤣😂

I've wanted to get my time to under 40 minutes for running 5k for months but it's a bit like trying to catch a unicorn 🦄 😉🏃‍♀️

[Timotea Graduate10]

Super impressed by your technological nouse! How do even see the ‘zones’? Are they on Garmin?

[Hidden in reply to Timotea]

Ah, don't be deceived Timotea 😉. My technological nouse is born out of frustration! I was fed up of being in the red zone and decided to read up, review my stats and put in my own data rather than relying on the generic 220 - your age = Max Heart Rate calculation, as my max HR was higher. Now I have stats that reflect me 😃.

You can find your zones on the Garmin Connect app, either on your phone or on your laptop. I'm not sure what you use, but happy to guide you if you like?